The Reaper

Steven Dunne

Jul 2009 · Sold by HarperCollins UK

About this eBook

A damaged detective and a brutal serial killer collide in this nail-biting thriller debut.

Detective Inspector Damen Brook thinks he’s left his past behind him in London. But it seems a serial killer has followed him north...

Brook’s seeking sanctuary. Years in the MET have left their mark – so much so that he's fled to Derby leaving behind his marriage, his teenage daughter and very nearly his sanity to wind down a once promising career in the peace of the Peak District.

But one winter's night, Brook is confronted by a serial killer he hunted many years before – The Reaper – a man who slaughters families in their homes then disappears without a trace.

To find this killer Brook must discover what the Reaper is doing in Derby, why he's started killing again and what, if anything, connects the butchered families.

As Brook becomes entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse, he is forced to face his own demons by revisiting the previous investigation and confronting a past that destroyed his family and nearly cost him his life...

A heart-stopping thriller from a stunning new crime talent, for fans of Stuart MacBride and Thomas Harris.

Ratings and reviews

It's a decent read, however, if you were hoping for more depth on the serial killer and detail to the scenes incorporating his murders, then it is disappointing. Too much time is spent on the relationship between Brook and the Reaper character. Rehashing constantly old ground, which after a while became confusing as more and more characters with obvious complex issues, were thrown into the muddle. I found the ending somewhat flat.

There are some good motifs in this book, sadly they are not enough to rescue it. The relationship between Brook and Sorensen is a bizarre one to say the least and it does at least add a slightly different dimension to the usual police procedural. Unfortunately, there are far too many hackneyed tropes in the book and they are unashamedly displayed for the reader to tsk over. This is especially true of Brook himself, who has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever; so much so I actually found myself hoping that the titular Reaper would overwhelm him in the end. The murders are told with a relish that should be uncomfortable but isn't - I think a steady diet of brutal scandi-noir has removed the shock factor from such things for most people who read the genre. That and basic attention to biological function seems secondary to making a pleasing kill room scene. There is an attempt to be inventive but I found it did fall rather flat and the squeezing in of "culture" to be just that, squeezed in as a neat little signpost for the reader rather than an actual intrinsic part of the plot. As plot goes it is slightly better than the characterisations in the book but not by much. Events that are supposed to make you gasp and hurriedly turn the page are left floundering because they become increasingly preposterous and rely far too much on coincidence and right place, wrong time formula to become truly engaging. The opening salvo is intriguing and draws you in, you want to know what is happening on this sink estate and why the youth are quite so disaffected and feral. Unfortunately this is then backed up by a Police force that is dismissive and often bullying towards those of senior rank. Whilst I suppose there is an element of that that is true to life here it is laid on with spades and rather than elevating the impression of the police in the reader's minds (as so many in this genre manage to do - even when full of black humour and clear coping mechanisms) this particular example of the genre just serves to denigrate. I found this to be a rather mundane and ploddy example of the genre and certainly would not look at purchasing other episodes in the DI Brook series.

Brook, the main character, is confused, along with much of this story. There was just too much going on, too many strands to keep up with and, I felt, too many loose ends. I'll try the second in the series to see whether the author's style changes at all.

About the author

Steven Dunne has written for fun since Kent university when he first became interested in writing and performing. His primary focus was comedy. He wrote and performed sketches as well as dipping his toe into the terrifying world of stand up comedy. He is now a full time English teacher in Derby.